Dear Editor,
Last week’s vice-presidential debate (Oct. 1) was refreshing for all of us, I believe, because it was a pretty civil debate with both JD Vance and Tim Walz relatively composed and good communicators. They showed respect for each other and even compassion. They both seemed to try to find areas of mutuality, and they stayed on topic, not focusing on personal insults.
I want to say, “This is my America and how we communicate,” however, the limelight dimmed quite a bit on the antics, once again, of our mainstream media. There were rules in place that (the moderators) chose not to follow, such as to keep out of fact-checking, which they didn’t, and afford the contenders the ability to fact-check each other.
However, when Vance attempted to correct one of the interviewers' statements, his microphone was turned off. Again, only one party was fact-checked, which led to Walz getting away with some inaccuracies.
The moderators' questions were designed to favor the liberals — their talking points — and ignored other issues, such as global politics, which are very pertinent right now.
So, the contenders were professional, but America lost, thanks to legacy media. With this behavior, half the country is getting a biased perspective. If I choose to watch their respective channel, I expect their slant. However, not in a vice-presidential debate. Bad form.
Randall Harman, Putnam County